The divine Lotus Sutra serves as the defining doctrine of Mahayana sect of Buddhism; it emphasizes that inherent in all living beings is Buddhahood, which can be realized through the practice of the Sutra. One, thus, need not pass through various stages of Bodhisattva to attain Buddhahood. This simplification made Buddhism very popular indeed.
The Sutra finds its origin in Sanskrit as Saddharma Pundarika
Sutra (the Lotus Flower Sutra of the Wonderful Dharma
or Law), and it was later translated by Ven. Kumarajiva into Chinese as Myoho Renge Kyo, which serves as its Japanese title as well. It represents the highest form of Lord Buddha's teachings.
Mt. Gridhakuta in Rajgir is believed to be the place from where Lord Buddha pronounced the 'Wisdom Sutra' and the 'Heart Sutra' as well.
Atop Mt. Gridhakuta, I stood mesmerized and spell bound as reverberations of the chanting of hundreds of monks, clad in bright colored robes and coming from all across the globe, filled me with devotion. Who we are? A form or mere emptiness? Or, one and the same thing?
‘Rupam Sunyata Sunyataiva Rupam;
Rupam Na Prithak Sunyata Sunyataya Na
Prithag Rupam;
Yad Rupam Sa Sunyata,Ya Sunyata Tad Rupam;
Evam Eva
Vedana-Samjna-Samskara-Vijnanam.’
‘Form is
Emptiness and the very Emptiness is Form;
Not different from Form is Emptiness and not different from Emptiness is Form;
That which is Form is Emptiness, that which is Emptiness is Form;
The
same is true of feelings, perceptions, volitions ,
and consciousness.’
As as cop, my work is to fight violence every day, every hour, every minute and I am bound and chained by the worldly attachments, yet I felt - I could hear the higher calling:
‘Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate,
Bodhi, Svaha’
‘Gone, gone, gone
beyond, gone far beyond to the other shore, O awakened, so it be!’
